


Happy Endings

by The_Writer_Of_Many_Things



Series: Widojest Week 2019 [4]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Widojest - Freeform, caleb wants to tell jester how he feels so bad, day 4 of widojest week, discussion of happy endings, fairytale, jester blames herself for Mollymauk's death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 18:47:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19774201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Writer_Of_Many_Things/pseuds/The_Writer_Of_Many_Things
Summary: Jester wants all her friends to find happy endings but confides in Caleb that she worries it might not be possible.





	Happy Endings

“Caleb, do you think fairytales are real?”

The camp was quiet, all of the Mighty Nein resting underneath Caleb’s dome. Jester and Caleb had taken the last watch for the night as they made their way through the woods. It had been a quiet couple of hours so far, only the occasionally rustle from the nearby trees as nocturnal animals hunted their prey. Caleb had spent his time practicing some of the somatic components of his spells while Jester had been focused on a book she had picked up in the last town, taking the time to doodle in the margins of the pages here and there.

“I do not know Jester. I think most stories do have a basis in reality, ya. So perhaps what you are reading is at least partially true.”

“No, I mean…” Jester paused here, sticking her tongue out and concentrating on one specific part of the doodle in the corner of the page. “Like all these fairytales are really similar. They have someone who has to face a great evil and then they outwit the person or the monster, and then there’s usually like a kiss or something at the end and everything ends up happily ever after, you know.” 

Caleb let the silence linger, mulling over what Jester was trying to ask. The tiefling sat next to him, unmoving except for the corner of the page she was gently rubbing between her thumb and index finger. There was no tension, but the silence felt weighted, like an anchor starting to sink into the undiscovered depths of the ocean.

“I guess what I’m trying to ask Caleb is… do you think things will really turn out okay? Do you think we’ll all get to have a happy ending?”

Jester wasn’t looking at him, but he could tell how seriously she was contemplating the question. Caleb knew if she refused to make eye contact with someone she was trying to hide how much she was feeling, especially when she was in pain. Her head was tilted to strategically allow her hair to shield her eyes. 

“Well Jester, that is a complicated question to be sure. I do not know if I have an answer…” He stared at her, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t break her heart. Despite how she sometimes presented herself to the world, deep down Jester was inexperienced. He hated the word naive; Jester knew about a lot of things naive people didn’t, but she hadn’t actually experienced so much of life due to her mother’s agoraphobia and desire to protect her daughter. Every day on her journey with the Mighty Nein Jester learned a little bit more, lost a bit more of her cheeriness. But she tried so hard to never lose her smile, to not let what was happening around them dampen her spirit, and Caleb adored that about her.

“Molly didn’t get a happy ending.”

The words cut like a knife across Caleb’s heart. He knew how hard Mollymauk’s death had hit Jester; if only she had been there, if only she had had a diamond, maybe he would still be here with them. Their brother in arms, her fellow tiefling, killed while trying to save Jester and the others and she never even got to say goodbye. Time had begun to heal Caleb’s wounds, but the scars on Jester’s heart were still fresh.

“Ya, Mollymauk did not get his happy ending…” Caleb paused, choosing the next words carefully. “But he died a hero. He was trying to save you, and Fjord and Yasha. Sometimes in fairytales heroes have tooooo, uh, sacrifice things for what they believe in.”

“But he died because of me. What if that makes me the bad guy?”

Caleb’s mind reeled from the words coming out of Jester’s mouth. The thought that this woman, the heart and soul of the entire Mighty Nein, could even consider herself a villain in someone’s story was outlandish.

“Jester, what are you even talking about?”

The tiefling sighed, setting the book down in her lap but still looking straight ahead. “I just want everyone to get a happy ending Caleb. I don’t want to get in the way of anyone’s fairytale.”

“Jester, I…” Caleb could feel tears welling up in his eyes and a raging fire began to burn in his chest. He wanted to burn the world that had made her feel this way, force it to be sorry for breaking her spirit and give back all the hope it had taken from her. But he knew Jester would never want that, would never be okay with it, so he took a deep breath and waited before finishing his answer.

“Jester, you will never get in the way of anyone’s fairytale. I know you blame yourself for Mollymauk’s death but he would never have wanted you to think that way. None of us could ever think of you that way either.” He paused again, contemplating the possible gestures of physical comfort he could express before settling on a hand resting gently on her wrist. “I cannot promise you that we will all find our fairytale ending, but I can assure you that none of us will ever blame you for it. It is up to each of us to be the hero of our own story, ya?”

“Thank you Caleb,” Jester said. She was silent for a moment, and Caleb thought he had made things worse, but then she dropped her book into her lap and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I hope you find your happy ending, Caleb.”

Caleb gently tilted his head to the side until it was gently resting against Jester. He wanted to tell her so badly what he had imagined a million times-his happy ending was with her, the two of them together, eating pastries and reading books on a rainy day. But he knew he could never tell her that. Instead he would enjoy this precious moment here in their little corner of the world, just existing with her so close to him, a little glimpse of his fairytale.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for continuing to read this series! This one is definitely the shortest of the group, at least for now. I hope it isn't too angsty. Shoutout once again to 3fling.tumblr.com for being so awesome and encouraging!


End file.
